Search form

Health

March is ‘blood clot awareness’ month, dedicated to activities concerning blood clots. It’s in this regard that Rwanda Clot Awareness Network (R-CAN), a local network aimed at fighting the condition, organised community work to create awareness on the condition.
Community work...

Dear Doctor,
Are there any health dangers of living in a noisy neighbourhood? I am worried because my neighbours are always playing loud music. Kelly
Dear Kelly,
Your concern is genuine. There are many health hazards of exposure to loud noise. It causes both physical and mental problems....

Dear Doctor,
My 80-year-old grandfather is experiencing trouble passing urine. Should I worry or not? How can it go back to normal? Ntwari
Dear Ntwari,
It is possible that your grandfather is suffering from an enlarged prostate. The prostate gland is found in men surrounding the urethra (tube...

My skin gets itchy every once in a while for reasons I can’t explain. I have no skin disease and I’m not allergic to anything I know of. What could explain this and how do I treat it? Amanda
Dear Amanda,
The most common cause for itchy skin is dryness of the skin. Excess dryness can...

Dear Doctor,
My 14-year-old son always returns from school with serious dandruff. What exactly causes this and I wonder whether it can be treated permanently. Can dieting help? Olivier
Dear Olivier,
Dandruff is a skin condition affecting the scalp. It causes a itchy and flaky scalp. It...

Maize, or corn, is common in local markets. Locally known as ‘Ibigori’, one can buy them at Rwf100 apiece, roasted or boiled. For people who prefer to prepare them at home, they can be accessed raw as well.
It would be wise for anybody to add maize to their diet. Why? Nutritionists say...

Swimming is a pleasurable sport which makes one feel cool, refreshed and energetic. But there are certain health hazards associated with it. One can get sick due to swimming in lakes or swimming pools due to various kinds of microbes present in water. Water is contaminated due to...

If you thought that bad oral health only affects the teeth, then you’re wrong —scientists established a link between oral diseases and the rest of the body.
A healthy mouth and a healthy body go hand in hand. It’s important to understand the close relationship between oral health...

We all want to be our fittest selves, but with so much advice floating around out there, it can be hard to hone in on what healthcare tips actually work. To make your life a bit easier, we’ve rounded up a number of our go-to healthy strategies, to help you reach your most ambitious fitness...

Heading to a concert is more beneficial for your wellbeing than yoga, a new study claims.
Researchers found that people who listened to 20 minutes of live music had a 21 per cent boost in mood, while those who took a yoga class for the same amount of time increased their wellbeing by just 10 per...

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disorder that makes one feel very tired all the time. Sometimes the disorder is so bad that it makes it hard for someone to do their normal activities. Although it is not likely to shorten one’s life, chronic fatigue syndrome can have a profound effect on one...

Have you tried to enjoy a fruit such as a juicy luscious watermelon only to constantly have to spit out the seeds into your palm or somewhere else? If you are trying to impress anyone, spitting out seeds does not head the list, does it? Well, there seems to be an answer to this question of;...

During a conference held in Kigali on International Women’s Day, one of the key speakers expressed concern about teen pregnancy. Many girls in developing countries are said to become mothers before the age of 18, due to multiple factors. In Rwanda, it is much less than other Sub Saharan...

Dear Doctor,
My cousin is living with me but I noticed she nose bleeds a lot. She says it has always been like this. Is this normal? Rita
Dear Rita,
Nose bleed is common for some people, due to excess dryness. The inner lining of the nose (nasal mucosa) is very fragile. Due to excess dryness,...

It’s meant to make you smell fresher.
But scientists claim that deodorant may be doing more than just that - it could be making you ill.
More than a quarter of people suffer bad reactions to chemicals found in the sprays, a new study suggests.
Australian researchers quizzed 1,100 people to...

Dear Doctor,
I’ve been coughing for over a month now and medication doesn’t seem to help. I sometimes get a fever in the night. What could be behind this? Sarah
Dear Sarah,
If there is cough associated with night fever sometimes, in a tropical climate, it becomes necessary to exclude...

I have some pain in my lower abdomen and yesterday I noticed a swelling. The pain has been there for two days now. My housemate says it could be hernia. It gets more painful. What is hernia and how do I treat it? Peter
Dear Peter,
How old are you? Have you been operated on in the lower abdomen?...

Dear Doctor,
My house help has bad body odour. He takes a bath twice a day and I always buy him deodorant but it doesn’t seem to help. What could be the problem?
Joe
Dear Joe,
Apocrine glands are the ones responsible for body odour. The sweat produced by them is high in protein content,...

Dear Doctor,
Can proper dieting alone rid one of certain like diabetes as some people/companies who sell food supplements claim?
Aminah
-----
Dear Aminah,
It is not dieting but a correct type of diet which helps in control of blood sugar levels in diabetes. In fact in type II diabetes (where...

Dear Doctor,
What medical conditions are children aged under 5 more susceptible to during the rainy season?
-----
Dear Alice,
The rainy season brings a cool weather and greenery. But it can also cause some health problems. The most common problem occurring is viral influenza. Common cold or...